Anchor construction



W- G. WHITE ANCHOR CONSTRUEFTION Filed Feb. 3, 1964 May 11, 1965 INVENTOR. war/e10 GORDON wmrz United States Patent 3,182,625 ANCHOR CONSTRUCTION Wilfrid Gordon White, Portland, Maine, assiguor to The Eastern Company, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 341,950 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention relates to an improved pivoting-fluke type anchor and particularly to a construction enabling such an anchor to be used in various ways.

A problem frequently encountered in the use of a pivoting fluke anchor is its fouling by rocks, coral or sunken trees so that the anchor cannot be withdrawn in the usual manner with the usual anchor cable. A solution to this problem has been attempted in various Ways. For example, one solution suggested is to attach a line to the after end of the anchor and attach this to a buoy so that, if necessary, the buoy line can be used to pull the anchor rearwardly and out of engagement with an object fouling the anchor and otherwise preventing its withdrawal. Another proposal which has met with some acceptance is to provide the shank of the anchor with a slot in which a ring or a shackle is slidable. The anchor line is attached to this ring or shackle so that the effective point of pull of the anchor line can be shifted to the rear of the anchor to effect its withdrawal from an object fouling the anchor. Such structures are shown in the Kellum Patent 2,468,077 and 2,612,131.

None of these proposals is acceptable for all-around use. For example, attaching a line to the rear end of the anchor frequently interferes with normal setting and holding of the anchor. Providing a slidable ring or shackle in a slot in the anchor shank is also objectionable for, as will be obvious, if the current happens to shift the position of the boat or vessel in relation to the anchor, the point of engagement of the ring or shackle will likewise shift and the anchor may be unintentionally withdrawn from effective ground engagement. As a matter of fact, this last structure has led to the safety precaution that any boat or vessel riding to such an anchor should not be left unattended.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a pivoting fluke anchor construction which is free of the foregoing objections and which can be used in such a manner that a boat or vessel riding to such an anchor can be left unattended.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide an improved anchor construction enabling the anchor to be recovered if it should become fouled or, if desired, the anchor can be used in the normal fashion. Attainment of some of these objects is effected by the use of a novel ring or shackle construction which will be further described and the provision of which likewise provides an object of the present invention.

In the drawings forming a part hereof:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 are side elevations, each illustrating one of the ways in which the anchor of the present invention can be utilized.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the novel shackle while FIGURE 5 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the anchor shown is one typically available and is as particularly shown and described in Patent 2,641,215. The anchor as shown in the drawing includes flukes and 11, shank 12, stock 13 and crown plates 14 and 15, the crown plates being secured to the flukes and spaced apart by brackets 2t) and 21. The shank is pivoted on the stock 13.

In accordance with the present invention, the shank 12 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 31 which extends from adjacent the rear end of the shank to the forward end as appears in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. At the forward end, in accordance with the present invention, I provide a suitable aperture 32, separate from the slots 31. The provision of the separate slot 31 and the shackle aper ture 32 have a special utility as will appear.

In the use of the anchor in the manner shown in FIG- URE 1, for example, a ring 33 is shown as slidable in the slot 31 and having an anchor line 34 attached thereto. In the full line position the anchor line is shown as the anchor is engaged with the bottom and the anchor line is under tension of the pull of an attached boat or vessel. If this anchor should become fouled, it can be released by moving the boat or vessel suitably until the anchor line is in a position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. In this position a pull applied to the rear end of the anchor will free it from any object which has fouled the anchor and otherwise prevents its withdrawal.

In that form shown in FIGURE 2, a shackle 36 is attached to the ring 33 and, in turn, a line 37 is attached to the shackle and to a buoy 38. Connection is made at the forward end of the anchor to anchor line 34 by a shackle 39 secured in the aperture 32. This attachment enables the anchor to be used in the normal way with complete assurance that if a change in tide or current should shift the relation between the attached vessel or boat and the anchor, the shackle 39 would still have an elfective connection to the shank of the anchor and, upon a further strain being applied to the anchor line 34, even though the boat or vessel had shifted position, the anchor would reset itself and re-engage bottom, this being a characteristic of the anchor of the form shown.

If it is desired to use the anchor in a completely normal manner and ignore the utility of the slot 31 and the ring 33, then the ring is moved to the forward end of the shank as shown in FIGURE 3 and is secured by the shackle 39 in position so that it will not interfere with the normal pivoting of the flukes and the setting and the resetting of the anchor.

The construction of the ring generally designated as 33 will now be described. In general, this is made up of two separate ring sections or loops 41 and 42 which are preferably substantially identical but which are provided in such a relation that they are at to one another. In the form shown, each ring corresponds to the contour of the outer end of the shank as appears at 43 but only one of these need be provided. In general, each ring or loop is semi-circular. The end of the shank 43 is generally pro vided by striking a radius about a center on the center line of the shank. Each of the rings 41 and 42 is slightly larger than the end of the shank so that either ring 41 or 42 can fit about the end of the shank as is shown in FIGURE 3 and can be retained in position by the shackle 39.

From the foregoing I believe it will be apparent that I have provided a new and novel anchor construction and one which enables an anchor to be utilized in various ways consistent with the end desired. In addition, a novel form of ring shackle has been provided.

I claim:

1. In an anchor of the pivoting fluke type having a shank, the improvement comprising an aperture at the outer end of the shank for attachment of a shackle for connection to an anchor chain, a slot extending along the length of the shank, said slot being perpendicular to the pivot axis of the fluke, and a ring slidable in said slot and connectable to said shackle.

2. An anchor construction as in claim 1 wherein the ring is provided by two ring portions extending at 180 to each other, at least one of said ring portions being adapted to fit over and about the outer end of said shank.

3. An anchor attachment comprising two ring portions extending at 180 to each other, at least one of said ring 5 portions being adapted to fit over and about the outer end of an anchor shank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,864 10/64 Stahlberger 114208 1,112,864 10/14 Stahlberger 114-208 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ANCHOR OF THE PIVOTING FLUKE TYPE HAVING A SHANK, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN APERTURE AT THE OUTER END OF THE SHANK FOR ATTACHMENT OF A SHACKLE FOR CONNECTION TO AN ANCHOR CHAIN, A SLOT EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SHANK, SAID SLOT BEING PERPENDICULAR TO THE PIVOT AXIS OF THE FLUKE, AND A RING SLIDABLE IN SAID SLOT AND CONNECTABLE TO SAID SHACKLE. 